Food, Fitness & Fun in NH

I am excited to announce the launch of my new web site featuring food, fitness and fun.  This first story features all three!

My husband, Keith,  and I have always enjoyed active family vacations.  Last summer, I bought Keith a pair of trekking poles for his birthday and booked a long weekend to use them in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.    We were delighted to be greeted by snow-capped mountains as a background for the beautiful fall colors on the trees.   North Conway residents are  friendly: we met a great couple Joe and Mary, providing great trail selections over breakfast.  Our two favorites were Black Capped Trail, that has great views for modest effort, and a trail, famous as a favorite hiking trail of film star Bette Davis, Bridal Veil Falls and the Coppermine Trail (see photo below).

We stayed at the pet-friendy B&B, The Kearsage Inn, allowing us to bring our exercising-loving dog, Bailey.  It was a great location, but they only provided hot morning beverages.  The bakery next door was great for coffee and blueberry scones (take home  the cranberry, apricot whole wheat bread).  Our favorite breakfast spot was the Stairway Cafe, featuring homemade applesauce,  pumpkin whole-wheat pancakes and of course, real maple syrup.  It is also the first place we met Joe and Mary: such a small town, we saw them again at dinner.  It was great to see local residents supporting the restaurants!

A word of caution about hiking in NH – even the easy trails have some moderate sections.  The waterfall trail  follows a stream that you cross several times and gain a close view of the boulders.   Water-proof hiking boots and the trekking poles were a necessity to navigate wet leaves, logs, and boulders.  Trekking poles cost from $25-$200 – I chose a mid-priced trekking pole from LL Bean – the cork handles with a comfortable strap, spring-loaded feature, and two adjustment levels were selling points.  Trekking poles also help you to walk faster on normal trails, pushing your aerobic activity level a little higher to benefit your heart and lungs.  I really could not find a down-side to using them.

Spending  4-hours each day hiking is a big contrast to our normal routine.   As the days grow shorter, avoid the winter weight gain with a plan to actively enjoy each season.  Vist your local park, find the local rails-to-trails paths or  just enjoy a walk through your neighborhood.  Plan your next vacation to be an active one:  pack hiking boots, trekking poles and the family dog.  Fall into better fitness habits, today!